Only After Midnight
by Caelion
Summary: Nanoha and Fate are married but there's no marriage that doesn't have to face its hardships. In the face of their dying intimacy, the two need to search for solutions and one of them comes in form of something, or someone, that just might be able to help them with kicking the boredom out of their bedroom. Perhaps not without a price.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone, it's been a while since the last time I posted anything here. Like...2,5 years or so. That's mostly due to my lack of ideas and motivation to write, although I still randomly get these urges to write something which usually ends up being dropped halfway. Well, not this time as I was determined enough to actually finish this piece. What I'm about to present you is the first part out of two and the second one will be posted in a couple of days from now, after it goes through any necessary improvements and proofreading.

Also, I just wanted to note that the following fic, for the most part, revolves around mature and intimate topics, although it does not contain anything graphic or explicit enough to make the rating jump up to M. At least not in my opinion.

With that said, I hope you'll enjoy reading.

 _Edit:_ Right, of course I forgot about that - the story takes place a couple of years after ViVid.

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Nanoha franchise, nor any of the characters that appear in this story.

* * *

Fate's expression hardened with determination as she set her eyes on her target, preparing to strike a blow – one that would ensure her victory tonight. _Love is a battlefield, after all,_ she thought, reaching out to begin her attack.

And what a battle it was.

 _ **SLAP**_

"Fate-chan, not now..." a sleepy groan followed as Fate withdrawn her hurting hand from between Nanoha's breasts, not trying to hide a sigh of disappointment.

Turning back from her lover (more of a pillow partner now), the blonde sighed again and curled in the bed, feeling Nanoha's familiar warmth against her back.

But that warmth was really all that was left when it came to their bedroom and Fate was slowly starting to feel as if they both were simply getting bored with each other in terms of being physical. The feelings were there. She knew it, she could feel it. They had just slowly stopped desiring each other.

 _More of Nanoha losing her interest in making love_ , the blonde pondered, staring thoughtfully into the darkness of their bedroom. Slowly – and somewhat reluctantly – she closed her eyes to get some sleep instead.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her waist and gently pulled her back into something soft. "I'm sorry, Fate-chan," a light blow of air that came with the quiet whisper made Fate shiver slightly. "I didn't mean to turn you down, I'm just–"

"...not in the mood, right?" Fate finished the sentence with a noticeably hurt voice.

A silent sigh came as a response.

"Nanoha," she picked up, trying to speak as calmly as possible. "You're never in the mood. You've gradually stopped making any advances on me, you keep rejecting mine, just what am I supposed to think or do when you're like this?"

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha whispered and heavy silence followed.

"Am I not attractive to you any more?"

"No! That's not the case!" Nanoha's reply was quick and Fate could clearly hear a hint of fear in her voice. "That's not it..." the brunette added, more quietly.

It took Nanoha only a couple of seconds to continue yet, strangely, for both of them it felt like an hour worth of silence. "It's just been getting more and more boring..."

Fate raised her eyebrow.

As if seeing the gesture in the dark room, the brunette kept talking. "We don't try anything new any more, we just keep repeating the same...patterns," she paused for a while to take a breath. "It's becoming more of a routine and...I really don't want it like that..."

 _So that's why..._ Fate couldn't help but feel slightly stinging pain in her heart upon hearing these words. _I was at fault all along._

"I'm sorry," Fate whispered after a moment of silence, then turned around to face her partner. With her eyes accustomed to darkness already, she looked at Nanoha who was staring at her with questioning expression.

"I'm sorry I never noticed," the blonde added.

Nanoha just smiled lightly in response and pulled the girl into a warm embrace. "I think we both screwed up, really."

They both fell quiet for a while before realizing they didn't need any more words.

First to make a move was Nanoha. She reached out and brushed her lips against her wife's while gently caressing her cheek.

Fate's response was quick as she slipped her hand on the brunette's back and pulled her closer. She felt Nanoha's fingers trailing her neck, the side of her breast, then moving to her hip before resting on her behind. Fate sighed with pleasure at a small squeeze that followed.

Soon enough the two were kissing and rolling around, completely forgetting about what they had just talked about. And that probably wouldn't change if not for Fate noticing one, yet unspoken, question that was lingering subtly in the air between them.

"...what are we going to do, Nanoha...?" Fate asked abruptly, after gathering all of her willpower to stop herself from further oh-so-tempting feeling up her lover, that is.

Nanoha also stopped in the middle of their foreplay and pondered seriously on the question. "I think I might have an idea," she eventually stated with a smile.

That _mysterious_ kind of smile.

Fate groaned.

She had all right to.

* * *

"Well, you could also try this one. You see, you put this end here first–" Hayate stopped upon realizing that both of her friends' faces were about as red as the suggestively-shaped toy she was holding which, in short, meant a lot. "Oh come on, you look as if you've never seen a dildo before."

Nanoha and Fate couldn't help but share a pained look, followed by Hayate's sigh.

" _Tell me you regret this idea,"_ Fate spoke telepathically to her wife, receiving an actual nervous giggle as an answer.

Hayate's eyebrow twitched as she crossed her hands.

"Look, I know it's embarrassing to talk about it but you need to break the ice if you both don't want to stagnate in a sexless marriage."

"I'm more wondering how come that you know so much about this stuff, Hayate," Fate pointed out innocently, looking at the table full of sex toys while still blushing bright-red.

This time it was Hayate's face that turned scarlet. "T-that's irrelevant!"

"Bull's eye," Nanoha giggled.

"Oh, guys! Do you want me to help you or not?" Hayate pouted with half-seriousness and leaned back in her armchair.

"Sorry, sorry," Nanoha waved her hand nonchalantly. "Of course we want your help, Hayate-chan," she reassured, picking up her tea to take a sip.

Hayate snorted. "Hm, maybe you should just find someone to have a threesome with and learn from them in practice."

With that, Nanoha spit out her tea.

"What– " she uttered and looked at equally surprised and embarrassed Fate.

If the blonde had ever thought that her face couldn't possibly get any more red, she was clearly mistaken.

"Serves you right, now we're even!" Hayate exclaimed triumphantly at her friends' reactions while the other two sighed in unison.

 _This won't be easy to deal with..._

* * *

"I swear, sometimes Hayate tires me more than my work," Fate groaned after dropping on a couch in the living room she shared with Nanoha.

"But she's still our precious friend nonetheless," Nanoha added mildly while filling two glasses with water and putting one of them in front of her wife. "I can tell she tried her best for us."

Fate couldn't help but smile and nod before downing the whole glass of water. When a pair of warm arms wrapped around her, she leaned against Nanoha. "Seriously though, what will we do now? Some of her ideas were really..." the blonde blushed and shivered simultaneously at the though alone.

Nanoha pondered on the question, bringing one hand up to stroke Fate's silky-smooth blond hair.

All of the solutions that Hayate offered were kinky and indecent and Nanoha knew that Fate wasn't good with this kind of things.

Not at all.

 _I can still remember how traumatized she got back then..._ In her mind, Nanoha recalled an image of Fate almost crying from embarrassment during their first (and coincidentally last) time they tried spicing their lovemaking up with a couple of toys. _Still, it was a long time ago so maybe–_

"Just don't tell me you want to try all that," the blonde's hopeful voice had made Nanoha close her mouth before she had even managed to finish her thought.

"Fate-chan," the brunette spoke with slight embarrassment.

Fate sighed.

Not exactly with resignation due to sheer lack of other ideas, more of because none of the options they were provided with was particularly appealing to her. To not say that she was actually getting scared of just the thoughts alone.

"Maybe we should just get professional help, Nanoha," she suggested eventually.

Nanoha raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know...Like asking Shamal? Or going to another actual doctor?" the blonde answered meekly.

"Oh no, no way!" Nanoha protested quickly. "I'd die from embarrassment if anyone else got to know about this!" the girl stated, leaving no room for further negotiations.

Fate's eyebrow twitched dangerously. "But listening for almost seven hours about sex toys and positions is not embarrassing to you, right?" she burst, feeling her face immediately gaining a bright shade of pink again.

The two crossed their arms, taking opposite sides of the couch.

"Fate-chan is just old school," Nanoha spoke, obviously offended.

The blonde snorted. All of this was getting on her nerves. She wanted to do something about the whole problem but what was she supposed to do if she couldn't even find some kind of common ground to start from?

 _I don't know what else we could try then-_

Suddenly, before she had finished the thought, an idea came to her mind.

 _No, this is crazy._ Fate shook her head. _But if not that..._

Still slightly annoyed, she opened her mouth. "T-then maybe we should just listen to Hayate and get someone who'd show us what to do," she spoke with slightly trembling voice.

 _This is not right..._

What followed was silence and Nanoha opening and closing her mouth like a fish, staring at Fate with the blonde looking back at her.

"...you mean threesome?" Nanoha muttered after a minute or so.

Fate closed her eyes for a second. _No turning back now._ After that, she nodded.

"Fate-chan, are you serious?" Nanoha gaped at her partner with disbelief. It surely was not something she expected to hear from the blonde.

But the tone of Fate's voice left her with no doubts. "I'm dead serious."

With that, Fate got up from the couch.

"Fate-chan, where are you going?"

"I'll go sleep first," she answered, heading to the bathroom and leaving flabbergasted Nanoha alone on the couch.

* * *

Nanoha's fingers hovered above a virtual keyboard, frozen midway to the keys they were supposed to press. But the brunette herself was staring blankly at the opposite wall of her office, completely ignoring the job she was supposed to be doing.

" _Maybe we should just listen to Hayate,"_

Fate's voice echoed in her mind yet again and Nanoha really had no idea what to think any more. From one side, she wanted to go back to the times when they could have fun with each other without it feeling like some kind of repetitive necessity. On the other hand though she couldn't enjoy these things any more when nothing new was happening and when she could predict the blonde's every move. Then there was her feeling of guilt because, while she herself was losing interest, Fate's libido was slowly but steadily rising.

 _This is hopeless..._ she thought, once again skimming through any possible solutions.

In the same time, Nanoha was becoming aware that they _had_ _to_ take an action if they wanted to change anything. And there was something, just _one_ thing, that they both could possibly be fine with.

 _But am I really ready for that...?_ was the major question. Right next another one that kept plaguing Nanoha's mind.

Because, her own readiness aside, was _Fate_ really okay with having someone else in their bedroom? Even if it was just for the sake of helping their relationship.

The weight of doubts and questions was overwhelming and the girl couldn't help but sigh loudly.

"Are you okay, Master?" a mechanical voice of Raising Heart brought Nanoha back from her reverie.

"What- ah, yes, yes. I'm okay," she lied before propping her forehead on her hands.

The device closed the screens surrounding Nanoha and quickly circled once around her head.

"Master, your temperature is 1.1% higher than normal and your brain displays an unusual level of fatigue. I suggest contacting Dr. Shamal. Shall I dial her private number?"

Nanoha looked at the red orb and smiled lightly. "Thank you, Raising Heart, but there's no need to do that. I'm just worried about something."

The orb blinked with soft glow. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Master?"

The brunette contemplated on the question for a while before answering. "Actually, yes. Please check Fate-chan's schedule and send her a coffee request for her next break."

"Yes, Master!" the device blinked again, as if being happy about helping its owner.

Nanoha nodded and continued to stare at the wall, just this time thinking of how she was going to answer her wife.

* * *

Lunchtime was always the time when cafés were full of people and this time it was no different.

 _So crowded,_ Nanoha thought as she roamed in between the tables in a local place that she and Fate would often visit together on their breaks.

Suddenly, something, or rather someone, caught her attention.

"Nanoha, over here!" A tall blonde clad in black enforcer uniform was waving at her (which made Nanoha smile instantly despite her nervousness), sitting at a table at the opposite side of the café.

After quickly making her way to the table, Nanoha sat down in front of the girl. "I'll take a small coffee, too," she quickly told a waitress that was already taking Fate's order. "Hello, Fate-chan," she greeted the girl and smiled softly at her.

"Hello," the blonde answered back, reciprocating the gesture before turning more serious upon further inspecting Nanoha's face. "Nanoha are you all right?"

The brunette giggled and winked. "Busted," she said with a hint of actual tiredness in her voice while placing her left hand on top of the small table they were sitting at.

Fate immediately covered Nanoha's hand with her own.

"Don't worry, Fate-chan, I'm just having a tiring day at work."

 _Totally_ _convincing._

"I'm constantly getting more and more paperwork to do," Nanoha continued (not far from truth) while Fate's façade remained unchanged.

"The thought alone of the amount of work I have to do after the break ends–"

"So what's on your mind?" Fate interrupted, as if ignoring completely what the brunette was saying.

Nanoha let out a nervous laugh. "Hahaha...Somehow I saw that coming."

 _But I like how stern she can get when she's worried about me,_ the brunette added in her mind, flashing a genuinely sweet smile at her wife.

The blonde smiled back briefly. "You always blame work whenever something bothers you," she noted and repeated, this time more strictly. "So what is it? Are you worried about what I said yesterday?" she finished in a much milder manner.

Bull's eye.

Nanoha looked away for a second, mentally thanking the waitress for bringing their coffee right in that moment as it gave her a short while to recall everything she wanted to say.

Everything that _somehow_ fled her mind the moment she found herself sitting in front of Fate.

"I...yes, I've been thinking about it a lot," she admitted eventually after the waitress had left. She opened her mouth to continue when she felt her hand being gently stroked by the blonde's thumb.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha. I was annoyed, I didn't mean it in a serious way," Fate replied softly, looking into Nanoha's eyes.

But the brunette shook her head.

"That's not it, Fate-chan. I've been thinking that...maybe it's actually a good idea."

Fate didn't hide her astonishment. "Huh?" she uttered and blinked.

"I mean, since we both couldn't really agree on anything else, maybe we should at least try that one?" the brunette explained, waiting a couple of seconds for a reaction from her wife before continuing upon not receiving any. "I thought that maybe it could give us some new ideas, ignite a spark again."

Fate stayed silent for a longer while, considering what her lover had just said.

"Fate-chan, do you trust me?" Nanoha asked eventually.

The blonde looked back up. "Of course I do," she stated confidently.

"I trust Fate-chan, too."

"But..." Fate sighed and blushed lightly. "I can't just let some stranger touch you in that way..." she muttered, fixing her eyes on the table and the hand she was holding and caressing.

 _Come to think about it..._ Nanoha put her finger to her lips, pondering on the blonde's words. "I don't want any stranger to get intimate with you, too," she started, meeting Fate's eyes.

The two stared at each other in silence for a while.

Until...

"Fate-chan, what if it's not a stranger?" Nanoha spoke. "What if it's someone that both you and me trust?"

Fate opened her mouth to say something, perhaps that she didn't have anyone like that in mind, when her eyes widened as she saw a familiar look on her wife's face. "Wait, you don't mean..."

* * *

"What?! You two want to have a threesome?! With ME?!" Hayate stared at both of her childhood friends in disbelief while standing behind the desk in her private office.

"Hayate-chan...you're kinda loud..." Nanoha said meekly and shared a look with Fate.

"Hayate...do you not like the idea?" Fate asked innocently.

Hayate facepalmed. "Yes– I mean, no– I mean– ahhh!" the girl dropped back down on her chair from which she had suddenly got up just a moment earlier. "I...really don't know what to answer," she spoke after a moment of silence. "You two are my dear friends and I'd do anything to help you, but..." she scratched her cheek, blushing lightly. "I've never really thought of any of you in this way."

Fate patted the arm of the brunette that was now resting head on her desk. "Hayate..." she replied softly, ready to take back the suggestion, when Nanoha spoke.

"You don't have to give us your answer now, Hayate-chan," she said mildly. "Or at all if you simply don't want to do it."

"It's not that I don't want!" Hayate raised her head quickly. "I- um," she muttered after realizing how wrong what she had just said sounded. "Have you two even thought about the consequences?" she suddenly turned more serious.

"Consequences?" Fate repeated questioningly, exchanging a look with Nanoha.

"Yes. Like, what if things get weird between us? Or what if it somehow makes you lose trust towards each other?" there was a certain kind of dangerous edge to Hayate's voice that made both Nanoha and Fate fall quiet and shake their heads timidly.

The truth was, neither of them had thought about it before.

Hayate sighed. "Listen, I trust you guys a lot and, if you believe that this is what's going to help you," she stopped for a second before continuing while the other two girls moved to the edges of their seats. "I'll do it," she finished calmly.

Fate looked at Nanoha with relief, a small smile appearing on both of their faces.

"But!" the other brunette's firm voice made both of them almost jump in their seats and look at her attentively again. "I want both of you to seriously think about it once again. Dozen of times even, if needed," Hayate crossed her arms and legs, straightening herself in her chair.

"Yes, ma'am!" the other two agreed in unison, both feeling a kind of new hope appearing in their hearts.

* * *

"I'm really surprised she agreed on it."

"Yes, me too."

"..."

"..."

"Fate-chan?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Are we really doing the right thing?"

Nanoha's voice filled with concern echoed in the dark room they were in.

"Are you worried about it?" Fate answered, lying on her stomach side by side with her wife.

The brunette sighed and replied quietly, "I'm just thinking about the what-ifs that Hayate-chan mentioned..." she paused, moving herself closer towards Fate's warmth. "She's cute and attractive, and most importantly she's our friend that we can trust, but I also have never really thought about her as someone I could sleep with."

"You have your eyes only on me, don't you," Fate poked playfully Nanoha's cheek and the other girl couldn't help but smile a little.

The smile quickly turned back to seriousness. "Fate-chan, are you really sure that we can trust each other enough to do it? That our friendship with Hayate-chan is strong enough to try?" the girl asked with worry.

"Nanoha," the blonde started and turned to her side to face her wife better. "There's no one else in the world that I trust more than you," she whispered warmly, kissing Nanoha's temple. "I. too, have never seen Hayate as a potential lover but, thinking about it, she's the only person that I'd trust enough to invite into our bedroom."

Nanoha smiled hearing these words. _So Fate-chan understands how I feel about it..._

"Besides," Fate continued. "We're friends. We can always stop if one of us gets uncomfortable or if things go too far."

The brunette nodded. Fate had the point – even if they agreed on it, they wouldn't be obliged to do anything. And if even Hayate herself was okay with it...

 _What could possibly go wrong?_

"Hey, Fate-chan, I think have an idea," the brunette mused while Fate looked at her attentively. "How about we take Hayate-chan on a date first?"

"A date?" the other girl repeated, slightly surprised by the suggestion.

"Yeah, a date. You know, do things that lovers usually do, be all playful, maybe even get a little intimate with each other," Nanoha explained. "Just something to get used to the idea or see if we could even go that far to begin with."

The blonde pondered on what her partner had proposed. It was actually a very clever idea and, Fate had to admit, also a good place to start, as well as finish in case of things not working out. The only questions left were 'when' and 'where'.

As if to answer Fate's thoughts, Nanoha said, "how about we both call Hayate-chan tomorrow? We all have the weekend free, we could take her out then and invite to our place later."

"What about Vivio?" Fate pointed out.

Nanoha smacked herself lightly on the head. "Right, I forgot that her sleepover plan at Corona-chan's place had failed."

The other girl quickly scanned their possibilities before coming up with one that had an additional plus to it – neutral ground. "How about we go to a hotel?"

Nanoha blushed. Not that it was visible in the darkness. "Y-you mean a love hotel?" she whispered animatedly, both embarrassed by the idea and yet strangely thrilled by it.

Fate nodded, also feeling her cheeks getting overly warm.

"I'll find us some nice place," the blonde offered. She had to admit the whole idea put in this way felt to her strangely exciting, perhaps more than she had expected.

* * *

"I think we're too early," Nanoha said after checking a little, stylish watch on her wrist before taking out a small mirror from her purse and once again searching for any possible flaws in her already perfect make-up.

Fate nodded and looked at a luxurious entrance to a restaurant they were supposed to go with Hayate. Then, she moved her eyes to her wife, one more time admiring her looks.

 _She's so perfect,_ Fate thought as she stared at Nanoha's body clad in a simple yet elegant, white with black accents, open back dress that reached her knees. For a change, the brunette decided to put her hair in a straight ponytail that gave her a bit more mature, yet _incredibly sexy_ look. The last thing that caught Fate's attention was a set of red earrings, along with a matching necklace.

Nanoha smiled to herself triumphantly, feeling Fate's gaze on her body. She had to admit, however, that the blonde looked so stunning herself that she couldn't help but keep casting glances at her every now and then.

Fate's evening dress was a bit more daring – long, black dress that reached almost to the ground, with a long-cut opening revealing her slender legs up to her thighs, and a pair of red heels, catching attention of everyone that passed them by which added to Nanoha's jealousy and pride in the same time.

Fate moved closer to Nanoha, standing next to her and offering her an arm which Nanoha immediately took on.

"Fate-chan, are you okay?" the brunette asked, looking up to meet the other girl's eyes. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," the blonde admitted with a light smile. "But I feel kind of curious and excited, too."

Nanoha giggled and said, "Then we're on the same boat."

She barely finished her sentence when a taxi stopped in front of them and the restaurant itself. The door on the back seat opened and stepped out of it no one else but Hayate.

It took both Nanoha and Fate a couple of seconds to realize they were gaping at their friend with their mouths parted. And they both had to say, the brunette's appearance was overwhelming. The mid-thigh reaching red dress she wore was tight and fitting, perfectly emphasizing her smooth, womanly curves, especially with its low-cut front that exposed the middle of her ample cleavage.

"Wow, you two look amazing!" Hayate exclaimed upon seeing the two of her friends.

Nanoha immediately shook her head. "It's you who looks stunning tonight!" she replied, touching Hayate's shoulder to feel the dress' soft fabric while Fate nodded eagerly.

A large grin appeared on Hayate's face as she stepped closer to the two. "Thank you," she said and brushed her fingers softly against Nanoha's to which the other girl reacted with a smile. "I'm sorry you had to wait for me, have you been here for long? " she asked.

"No, we just got here ourselves," Fate answered as she and Nanoha moved to both Hayate's sides and took her by her arms affectionately. "Shall we go?" the blonde asked with a smile, taking her friend's hand.

The two brunettes nodded and the three friends moved slowly towards the restaurant's entrance. The door slid open before them and the view they saw was beyond anything they imagined.

They found themselves standing on a red carpet in a large hall with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and beautifully-framed pictures and paintings on the walls, the middle area filled with matching tables full of equally elegant people. Spotting a reception on their left, Fate led the other two in that direction.

"Oh my..." Hayate whispered in awe, looking around curiously. "I knew it was going to be fancy but I didn't see THAT coming."

Nanoha giggled and patted her friend's arm. "Don't worry, I didn't expect anything like that either."

Both brunettes turned their heads to Fate.

"Mother recommended this to me," the blonde explained. "I asked her about an elegant place to have a romantic evening at."

With that, Hayate's face fell a little and the girl stopped in her track. The other two girls followed. "Are you two really sure that this is what you want?" she asked with concern. "Fancy restaurants, romantic dinners, it's a lovers' domain and I don't want to intrude," she explained softly.

Fate and Nanoha shared a look.

"We thought about it a lot," Nanoha started as she took her friend's hand. "If you are okay with it then we want to try, too."

Fate nodded. "We want all three of us to be the part of this evening."

With that, Hayate smiled a little. A smile that went further as she looked at her friends' honest expressions. "Okay," she nodded and took a deeper breath. "Then let's go and have a great evening!"

The other two nodded and they all continued their walk until their reached the reception.

"How can I help you?" a young man dressed in a suit asked from behind a desk.

Fate took the situation in her hands. "We have a reservation of a table for three in a VIP room."

The man checked his computer. "Your surname, Ma'am?"

"Harlaown. Fate T. Harlaown."

"Thank you. This way, please," he picked up a small card from behind the desk and led the three of them through a long corridor, right next to the main hall, until they reached a closed door. The man inserted the card into an electronic lock and opened the door before handing the card to Fate. "I wish you a pleasant evening," he bowed before leaving the three girls staring at the room.

And there was, in fact, a lot to stare at.

The design was similar to the main hall they were in although the room was much smaller. The light inside was dim and a table that they could sit at, on two comfortable-looking sofas, was decorated with two bouquets of red roses. The table itself was set near a large window that looked at a beautiful landscape of mountains, bathed in silver light of one of Mid-Childa's moons.

"Romantic, indeed," Nanoha whispered, staring at the room at a loss of better words.

Hayate was in a similar state. She kept looking around the room in awe, yet not daring to take a step inside.

The first one to break the ice was Fate. She entered the room with confidence and a smile, then turned around and took both of her friends' hands.

"Come in, let's sit," with that, she gently pulled both brunettes inside and closed the door after them.

"Fate-chan, aren't you intimidated by all that?" Nanoha asked, surprised by her wife's casual reaction to all the luxury.

However rich, money-wise, they could be, both of them had chosen simplicity and comfort in their lives over wealth and splendour.

The blonde shook her head. "I'm used to it. As an enforcer I had to visit all kinds of places."

Fate was right. All of them had visited luxurious areas a couple of times in their lives but, out of the three of them, the blonde's varied missions made her stay at such places most often.

Nodding her head, Nanoha led both Fate and Hayate to one of the sofas. Fate went first, then Hayate, and lastly Nanoha herself.

"Wow, it's really comfortable, isn't it?" the brunette said after leaning back and sinking into the soft cushions.

"Totally!" Hayate agreed, settling herself cosily between her friends.

Fate smiled and opened a menu which was in form of a paper book. "Are you two thirsty?" she asked, browsing the section with drinks and putting the menu on the table so all three of them could take a look.

"Oh, I'll take this!" Hayate pointed at an expensive red wine. "Whole bottle!"

"Whole bottle?" Nanoha and Fate asked in unison, looking at their friend who gave both of them a sly wink.

"Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, what's for the two of you?" she quickly changed the topic.

Nanoha scanned the list briefly and put her finger to her lips. "Mm, I'll take peach liquor," she mused.

"I'll have some tea."

Two pairs of eyes turned to Fate.

"I'm driving," the blonde explained.

Not so long after, they were sitting on the couch, chatting animatedly and enjoying their drinks along with a couple of appetizers brought to them by a waitress.

"So, Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan," Hayate started suddenly in a slightly more serious way. "Have you two thought of some kind of boundaries or rules you want to set up?"

"Rules?" Fate asked, exchanging a look with Nanoha and then turning to her friend again.

Hayate nodded. "You know, things that you don't want me to do, or maybe there's something that you want me to do in particular."

The blonde tilted her head at first, until she got what the brunette was referring to. Her cheeks coloured with pink when she shook her head. "N-no, we- we haven't talked about it."

"I don't think there's anything like that in general, is there, Fate-chan?" Nanoha looked at her lover after a moment of silence.

The girl in question nodded before trying to hide her blush behind a cup of tea.

"Either way just let me know if there's anything like that," Hayate spoke and took a sip of her wine.

"Hey, Hayate-chan," Nanoha started suddenly and Fate could swear that her wife had a hint of mischievousness in her voice.

"Hm?"

Nanoha poked the other brunette playfully on her arm. "How come that you're so knowledgeable about all this?" she asked with sly curiosity.

Hayate blushed.

Furiously.

"I mean, it's not even that you gave this idea," the brunette picked up again, ignoring her friend's reaction. "You seem to know quite well how to put it into practice, too."

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Hayate waved her hands franticly in embarrassment before covering her utterly red face.

Fate giggled. She could tell that Nanoha was getting tipsy when she was starting to tease others.

"So?" Nanoha urged with a smile.

"I- I read about it," Hayate stammered. "A- a lot."

The other brunette raised her brow. "Just read?"

"Okay, it's my fantasy!" Hayate blurted in defeat, not daring to uncover her face while Fate patted her shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry," Nanoha said with a gentler and more serious tone after she understood the weight of the situation. "Could it be that we're the first ones you do it with?" she asked, receiving a nod as an answer. "I'm honoured," she confessed mildly.

Hayate looked up from her hands. "You...don't think it's weird? To be into these things," she asked tentatively.

"Nuh-uh," Nanoha gave her friend a warm hug, meeting Fate's eyes and winking to her.

"So," the brunette started after she let go of Hayate. "How about Fate-chan tells us about _her_ fantasies?"

Fate's face burned bright red once again. "Nanoha!"

* * *

It was quarter past midnight when the trio got to the hotel that Nanoha and Fate had booked.

"We're here," Fate stated after stopping her car, turning to the other two girls that were giggling and teasing each other on the back seat.

Both Nanoha and Hayate were slightly tipsy and intimate topics, combined with the physical closeness they had shared back in the restaurant room, made both of them much more open towards each other than usual.

The moment Fate turned around to look at her friends was coincidentally the same moment Hayate chose to kiss giggling Nanoha on her cheek. The blonde smiled softly and was about to turn back to leave the car when someone stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"Fate-chan, Hayate-chan, you two should kiss!" Nanoha exclaimed with an innocently happy expression.

The request shocked Fate at first. And probably Hayate a bit as well as she was looking at the blonde, somewhat uncertain of what to do. Fate cast a glance at Nanoha, who was still smiling radiantly, then looked back at Hayate, first looking into her eyes, then lowering her gaze to stop at her slightly parted, red lips.

Then, as if to answer an unspoken question, the blonde nodded her head and closed her eyes.

First, she felt Hayate's soft fingertips brushing against her cheek. Then, there was pleasant scent of the girl's perfumes and warmth of her face close to her own. And lastly, a pair of delicate lips pressing against hers.

The kiss was chaste and lasted no more than a few seconds but it was just enough to make Fate's blood rush to her cheeks and her head spin slightly from built up excitement.

It was the first time she had ever kissed on the lips someone else than Nanoha but, strangely, the feeling wasn't much different. Actually, and to her own astonishment, she could go as far as saying that it felt almost as good as kissing her wife.

Slowly, the blonde opened her eyes and looked at the two brunettes. Both of them were smiling at her.

The atmosphere in the car was becoming more and more heated.

"Shall we go?" Hayate asked gently and the other two nodded.

Entering the hotel, they wasted no time. The reception was self-service, most probably to provide as much discretion as possible, there was only a small button to call hotel service in case of problems. A small computer on the reception desk provided electronic keys to the rooms after entering a reservation code.

Obtaining the key, Nanoha led the other two girls to a lift which was located at the end of a long corridor filled with multiple doors, all of them closed. The hotel itself was silent with only low sounds of jazz coming from hidden speakers. After the three girls entered the lift, Nanoha pressed her key against a small detector, located there instead of a standard control panel, and in an instant all of them started travelling up fast.

"Seems the guests are not allowed to roam around the hotel," Nanoha said and looked at her companions.

Fate still had her cheeks in light shade of pink while Hayate was fidgeting slightly. The air around them was filled with the scent of their perfumes and something else, something that neither of them could quite describe.

When the door slid open, all three of them stormed out of the lift, quickly reaching their destination which was the last room on their right. Nanoha quickly opened the door, letting Hayate and Fate inside, and stepped in herself, closing and locking the door again.

The only sound in the room was the sound of three girls panting slightly from the sudden fast-paced walk. Soft breeze blew through an open window as they stood next to, now locked, door in the darkness.

It was Nanoha that made the first move. She picked gently the hands of her friends, leading them to a king-sized bed standing in the middle of the opposite wall. Then, she turned around and sat down at its edge, slowly resting her back on the soft mattress and pulling the other two along.

Hayate and Fate followed, crawling onto the bed, each on Nanoha's opposite side.

No words were said. None were needed. Fate lied down next to her wife, holding her hand and stroking Hayate's hair with care as the brunette lowered down to kiss Nanoha.

The room remained quiet. Only with occasional sighs and sounds of passion breaking the silence.

* * *

Strangely, Nanoha's eyelids felt heavier than usual this morning. Opening them groggily she immediately closed them again when bright rays of sunlight reached her eyes.

Slowly, her perception, dimmed by sleep and tiredness, started coming back to her in form of many sensations from all around her body.

First off, her muscles were terribly sore. Secondly, her pillow was way softer and warmer than it should be. Thirdly, someone was stroking her hair. Lastly, she was already embracing someone herself and that person was still sleeping.

Once again the brunette tried opening her eyes, this time with more success as she somewhat got used to the light. Not moving her head or any other limb, she looked around.

In front of her she saw a very familiar sight – Fate was sleeping soundly while embracing her with one hand, her long, golden hair spread around the whole bed.

But that's where the similarities ended.

The bed wasn't hers, the room looked completely foreign, and the pillow her head was on...wasn't exactly a pillow.

Nanoha looked up and met a pair of blue eyes looking at her with love and certain gentleness in them. "Hayate-chan..." the brunette whispered while her friend continued to caress her hair. With a corner of her eye Nanoha noticed that the girl was doing the same thing to Fate.

Hayate answered her with a loving smile. "Good morning, Nanoha-chan."

For a split of second, Nanoha was about to ask what was going on and why Hayate was there, when everything came back to her as clear and fresh memories.

 _Right._

She had slept with Hayate.

Both she and Fate had slept with Hayate.

The blonde next to her moved and nuzzled Hayate's lap that served both of them as a pillow while Nanoha stared blankly into the other brunette's eyes, unable to say a word.

She got over the initial shock only when she noticed her friend's expression gaining little hints of sadness.

"Good morning, Hayate-chan," she whispered finally, careful to not wake Fate up.

Hayate's gentle fingers that were running through her hair felt soothing. Along with that feeling, Nanoha noticed something else – although she was still shocked that what happened last night was all but a dream, she did not regret it. Not in a slightest.

Carefully moving herself up, Nanoha reached out and kissed Hayate's cheek.

The other brunette smiled again and closed her eyes. "Kissy in the morning, Nanoha-chan?" she asked and moved her hand down from Nanoha's hair to her bare back, embracing and supporting her carefully.

Nanoha answered with a smile on her own, then leaned against Hayate and rested head on her shoulder, reaching out with her free hand to touch and caress sleeping Fate's cheek.

Minutes were passing lazily as the two brunettes stroked Fate's head while snuggling up to each other in silence.

"Are you okay, Nanoha-chan?" Hayate quietly asked after a couple of minutes.

Nanoha nodded her head. There was something inside her that made her feel at ease with how things were. An unnamed feeling that gave her inner calmness and peace, a feeling that told her this was how things should be.

"I've never been better," she answered contently, closing her eyes and listening to her friend's heartbeat.

"N- Nanoha, Hayate," Fate's sleepy murmur caught the other two girls' attention. The blonde rubbed her eyes with her free hand, still keeping the other one wrapped around Nanoha.

"Good morning, Fate-chan," Hayate greeted the girl and gently removed a stray strand of hair that fell on the blonde's forehead.

It took Fate a good couple of seconds to fully comprehend what was going on, too, and Nanoha could tell the girl remembered everything when her cheeks coloured with bright red. Her blush only deepened when she realized that all of them, herself included, were lying in bed with just a quilt covering their, otherwise naked, bodies.

By instinct, the blonde pulled the quilt up to her ears, inducing a couple of giggles coming from her friends. In the end, she couldn't help but giggle herself.

And all of that made the three of them feel the same about it; it was a truly serene morning after a long, adventurous night.

* * *

Humming to herself, Nanoha kept adding ingredients to a dish she was cooking, occasionally checking the instructions displayed for her by Raising Heart.

 _Oh, seems that Fate-chan is back,_ she mused to herself when she heard a sudden click coming from the outside of the kitchen.

Indeed, not even a minute later a pair of arms wrapped around Nanoha's waist and the girl felt warm breath on her neck that sent pleasant chills down her spine.

"Welcome back, Fate-chan," the brunette said with a smile, although still putting most of her attention into cooking.

"I'm back," Fate answered and nuzzled the crook of Nanoha's neck, planting a gentle kiss on the soft skin which resulted with a silent sigh coming from her lover.

Their short moment got interrupted by sudden voice of Raising Heart that hovered above the kitchen counter. "Master, the fish is going to start burning in 5, 4, 3,..."

"Oh no!" Nanoha exclaimed and quickly took a pan in front of her off the cooker. "Thank you, Raising Heart," she let out a nervous laugh and wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead.

"You should be concentrating more on cooking, Master," the device blinked and kept displaying the instructions while Nanoha's face covered with a light blush.

"I'll go take a shower," Fate informed the brunette before kissing her cheek.

No more than fifteen minutes passed before the dinner was ready and served, just in time Fate came back from the bathroom.

"Mm, delicious!" the blonde praised as she dug into her food. "By the way, where's Vivio?" she asked, noticing that only she and Nanoha were eating.

"Einhart-chan dropped in and snatched her away for the day," Nanoha explained.

Fate smiled and mused. "Seems our little girl is growing up."

The brunette nodded. "Kinda hard to believe it. I still remember like yesterday her coming to sleep in our bed," she giggled and so did Fate.

"Did she ask anything?" the blonde asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"You know, about us being gone for the whole night?"

"Nuh-uh," Nanoha shook her head.

"Hey, Fate-chan," she picked up after a moment. "What do you think about it? What we did, I mean."

Fate looked up from her plate, somewhat surprised by the question, and pondered for a while. "I think we've discovered a hidden side of Hayate that we hadn't known about before."

Nanoha let out a cute laugh. "Indeed, who'd have thought she gets so affectionate after making love."

The blonde nodded. "I found it quite adorable though."

"So did I."

The two continued eating.

"Do you have any regrets?" Fate asked after a couple of minutes.

"None," the answer was short but truthful. "Do you?"

Fate shook her head. "No."

Nanoha smiled.

So everything went well in the end. None of the things that Hayate warned them about seemed to happen as the three Aces were still just as casual around each other as they had used to be.

 _If anything, I think it brought us even closer together,_ Nanoha thought, recalling Hayate giving each of them a fond kiss on the cheek right before saying goodbye – something the girl wouldn't really do before.

 _Things are going just all right._

"Leave it to me," Fate gently motioned Nanoha to rest when the two of them got up to clean after finishing their meal.

The brunette nodded and strolled to a small cocktail cabinet they had in their living room. She took a bottle of fine red wine and poured two glasses before sitting down on a couch and waiting for her lover to finish.

The taste of the wine seemed familiar and still somewhat fresh in her mouth, as if she had drank it not so long before.

The girl closed her eyes.

" _Nanoha-chan! Fate-chan!"_

Nanoha's cheeks coloured slightly with red at the memories of intimate acts she and Fate had shared with their friend. A smile curled her lips as she recalled the delicacy in their touches. She felt her heart skip a beat when she remembered the warmth of two bodies against hers.

She took one more sip of the wine and lied down on the couch, not opening her eyes. Once again she saw Hayate and Fate's faces, their expressions filled with passion, the moment they leaned in to kiss each other, right before taking turns in kissing her.

Nanoha smiled and sighed quietly to herself. The feeling she had that morning came back to her, now more familiar, yet still unidentified.

But then she opened her eyes and it was gone.

In that moment, Fate stepped back into the living room. "Are you okay, Nanoha?" she asked, seeing the brunette lying down on the couch with hot flush on her face.

The blonde sat down next to her and connected their foreheads.

"I'm okay, Fate-chan, it's just the wine," Nanoha laughed it off and handed the other glass to Fate.

"Isn't it the same wine that Hayate ordered?" the girl pointed out after wetting her lips in the ruby liquid.

"Ohhh..." Nanoha mused. "I had a feeling I know that taste from somewhere," she giggled while Fate blushed slightly.

They both knew how exactly they got to try it after they had discovered that Hayate smuggled a bottle of it into the hotel.

"Nanoha..." Fate whispered suddenly, looking into her wife's eyes, then slowly lowered herself down and gently kissed her on the lips.

They closed their eyes, enjoying the blissful moment.

Fate put away her glass and shifted to straddle Nanoha's waist. Planting soft kisses on the girl's lips, face, and neck, the blonde moved her hands down and started unbuttoning Nanoha's shirt.

Each kiss that landed on her skin gave Nanoha an electrifying sensation, and yet deep inside she felt burdened with a kind of uneasiness which she noticed only now.

 _What is this feeling..._

She opened her eyes and stared into the distance, concentrating on whatever was chaining her heart at that moment.

"Nanoha?" Fate's voice suddenly made the girl realize she had spaced out in the middle of their foreplay. "What's wrong? You're so not into it."

Nanoha's face fell a little in guilt.

 _That wasn't the best timing._

"I'm sorry, Fate-chan, I... I think I'm just tired," she looked at the blonde apologetically.

Fate smiled gently at her and nodded. "Come on, let's go get some sleep."

With that, she gently pulled the girl up and led her to their bedroom.

The sheets were soft and cool, and Nanoha felt more at peace when Fate scooped her from behind and embraced tighter.

Closing her eyes, the brunette nuzzled her partner's hand, hoping for the uneasiness to go away.

Although the feeling got somewhat dimmed, it didn't completely disappear. As if something was missing in the whole picture. Or rather someone.

Nanoha's heart skipped a beat.

 _Could it be I'm missing how we were with Hayate-chan that morning...?_ she bit her lip.

 _No, it can't be...I've known Hayate-chan for years..._

Thoughts rushed through Nanoha's head while panic and worry filled her heart. _Or can it..._

Was she the only one of the three that felt this way? Maybe Fate felt like that, too? Maybe Hayate felt it as well? Maybe...

 _Maybe we could do it again...?_

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha whispered but no answer came. Only steady breath of the sleeping blonde tickling lightly her neck.

* * *

Hayate thought. She thought hard. "It's still beyond my comprehension why you want to repeat what happened so badly, Nanoha-chan," she said, looking at a holographic screen displaying her friend sitting in her living room.

The other brunette laughed nervously. "Didn't you like it, Hayate-chan?"

Hayate blushed. "I did, but..."

"But?"

"We're friends, Nanoha-chan. Friends don't have sex with each other."

Nanoha didn't answer but her slightly darkening expression did it for her.

"I can smell the disappointment even in my office," Hayate sighed. "Nanoha-chan, I'll do anything for you. But please, tell me if there's anything troubling you."

"...that feeling..." Nanoha whispered, more to herself.

Hayate raised her eyebrow questioningly, getting more and more confused by her friend.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Nanoha waved it off. _I just want to be with you and Fate-chan like that again._

"You see, I was just thinking that maybe doing it only once wouldn't be quite enough," she mentally hit herself for coming up with such a lame excuse that Hayate probably wouldn't believe anyway.

To Nanoha's surprise.

"I see. Okay," Hayate nodded her head, still looking at her friend attentively. "Let me know when you two plan anything out."

 _Darn..._

Nanoha laughed nervously. "Um, actually–"

"Understood," Hayate interrupted with little emotions showing. "I'll talk to Fate-chan about it," she said and Nanoha couldn't shake off an uncomfortable feeling that her friend's voice sounded somewhat more stern.

Suddenly, the door to Hayate's office opened.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha-chan, I'll call you later," Hayate gave her a quick wave before switching off the call.

Nanoha sighed and curled on the couch with a heavy feeling appearing in her stomach area.

 _I'm such an idiot..._

She never lied to her friends. She hated doing that. And yet just a moment ago...

"Mama?"

Sudden voice jolted the brunette.

"Mama, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

She saw Vivio kneeling down in front of her with worry.

Nanoha forced a smile on her face. "I'm okay, don't worry, sweetheart," she assured and patted the girl's head.

It got her by surprise when the teenage blonde leaned in and hugged her tightly.

"...Vivio?" she asked with astonishment.

"You looked like you needed a hug, mama," the girl answered simply without letting go.

A small tear appeared in Nanoha's eye and she quickly hugged her daughter back.

* * *

It disgusted Nanoha greatly that she hid the truth from Hayate and Fate. It disgusted her that she used a problem that she and Fate had in their own relationship to _lie_ to both of them and _drag_ both of them once again into something that probably shouldn't had even happened in the first place.

But what disgusted her most was that, once the three of them met in a bedroom again, all of that got forgotten.

Once again she was resting in Hayate's arms, curled next to Fate, all three tired and drenched in sweat after hours of passionate lovemaking.

Probably even more passionate than the first time as they got used to each other more in this way (who'd have thought they'd get into it so much).

And only now everything was coming back to Nanoha – how they had even got there and the reasons behind it. The reasons that this time were purely _selfish_ on her part.

Battling with her own thoughts, Nanoha nestled closer to Hayate while hiding face in Fate's tangled and messy hair. The other brunette responded with a gentle kiss planted on top of her head while the blonde was already fast asleep.

It was weird. Totally inexplicable to Nanoha.

Her heart was beating fast, as if it was about to jump out of her chest. She felt like she was engulfed in an incredibly intense, overwhelming feeling of joy induced just by these simple gestures.

And yet she felt sad – not only because of what she did, but also because she knew that what was happening right now wouldn't last long. Soon enough they'd all fall asleep, they'd get up and take a quick shower before kissing each other goodbye and parting their ways. Hayate would head straight to TSAB headquarters while she'd go back home with Fate.

And there would be nothing wrong with it if not for the fact that, to Nanoha, this vision of the imminent future felt lonely. _Too lonely_.

Heavy weight began forming in her stomach as she kept thinking of what was to come when, suddenly, she felt Hayate's fingers gently running through her hair.

Nanoha took a deep breath.

It was soothing. It was like her friend knew and shared her pain.

Nanoha relaxed and breathed in the feeling of comfort. At some point Fate woke up and, snuggling up closer to them, gently kissed her lips. Nanoha smiled when she heard Hayate commenting how adorable that gesture was. She smiled more, and even giggled, when the sleepy blonde reached out and kissed Hayate, too. She heard how the other brunette's heart started beating faster when she took her hand to caress it.

It was all like a dream. A dream in which she truly felt complete, safe, and _loved_.

A dream which ended when morning rays of light started slipping into the room through a small window next to the bed they were in.

"What...what time is it?" Fate groaned when light started falling directly on her face.

"It's still early, Fate-chan, you can keep on sleeping," Hayate answered before kissing the blonde's head tenderly.

The girl rested her head back on the brunette's arm for a couple of seconds before she fidgeted slightly and groaned again. "I need to go to the bathroom..." she rubbed her eyes and slowly sat at the edge of the bed.

Nanoha watched as the girl stood up, somewhat wavering, and headed to a door of a room directly connected to theirs. Soon enough both she and Hayate heard a sound of shower being turned on.

Nanoha didn't move from her spot, cuddled against her friend, until Fate stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. Only then she sat up and started stretching herself.

"Fate-chan, you should get a bigger towel or you might just kill someone with your body," Hayate teased while the blonde's face burned bright-red upon noticing that the towel she had on was, indeed, barely covering her bottom.

Nanoha let out a cute laugh and high-fived her friend.

"Oh you two!" Fate blushed even more. "...at least put something on yourself first if you're going to tease me," she bashfully faced away her two naked friends.

"I'll go take a shower, too," Nanoha stated, getting up and heading to the bathroom herself.

Pleasantly warm water was exactly what she needed at that moment. She closed her eyes and let it run down her body, as if cleansing her not only from the sweat but also heaviness that was slowly making its way back to her heart.

When she left the bathroom, Fate was already fully dressed and sitting on the bed while Hayate, with her underwear on, was slowly combing the girl's long, blond hair.

Nanoha placed her hand softly on top of Hayate's. "The shower is free, I can take over from here if you want to go," she said mildly and the other brunette nodded, giving her a gentle smile.

With great care Nanoha ran her fingers through her partner's hair. "Fate-chan," she whispered as she began combing.

"Yes?" the blonde answered with dreamy voice.

"Nothing, I just felt like saying your name," Nanoha giggled and kissed the girl's head.

The two stayed in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Nanoha," Fate asked eventually, this time with more seriousness. "Should we really be doing this?"

"What do you mean, Fate-chan?"

"You know...sleeping with Hayate," she looked down slightly. "I know she's our friend and she wants to help us but..."

"But?" Nanoha tilted her head.

"Nothing," Fate said, cutting the topic. "Never mind it."

Nanoha was about to ask what was on the blonde's mind when she heard the door to the bathroom opening.

"Is something wrong?" Hayate asked, looking at her two friends engulfed in silence.

"Nuh-uh," Nanoha negated and continued combing Fate's hair.

Soon enough all three of them were up and ready for the day.

"Thanks, Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan," Hayate gave each of them a tight hug.

"No, we're the ones that should thank you, Hayate," Fate embraced her and kissed fondly on the cheek to which the brunette responded with a slight blush and a smile.

Nanoha leaned in and did the same on Hayate's other cheek.

"Come on you, guys," Hayate giggled but returned the gestures.

"Do you need a lift?" Fate asked when the three of them reached her car parked behind the hotel they had stayed at.

Hayate shook her head. "It's okay, Signum will pick me up soon," she explained. "Don't worry, she doesn't know about anything," the girl assured, seeing both of her friends opening their mouth slightly.

They hugged each other one last time before Nanoha and Fate got into the car.

 _I'm already missing it..._ Nanoha thought to herself, staring through the window after Hayate had disappeared from their sight.

"You're unusually quiet, Nanoha," Fate pointed out after a couple of minutes of silent driving.

The brunette jolted slightly in her seat. "Sorry, Fate-chan, I just spaced out."

"Oh."

 _I just can't shake this empty feeling off again..._ the brunette thought as they continued their ride home in silence.

* * *

Nanoha let out a heavy sigh and curled herself more on the bed in her and Fate's bedroom. Room which she was temporarily alone in as Fate was still at work while she had requested going home earlier.

It wasn't the first time but no one minded that. On any other day the brunette would cover more work than anyone working along with her. But not in the past couple of days – she just couldn't concentrate on it at all.

In her mind she kept bringing up memories of her lovemaking with Fate and Hayate while her heart longed for more. More closeness, more touches, more simple affection that the three of them had shared in bed.

She longed for them in her daily life.

The girl gritted her teeth.

 _What's wrong with me?_ she asked herself for the nth time since all that had started.

But what was going on...it was just something she couldn't explain.

 _Fate-chan is my wife,_ Nanoha thought, trying to sort things out again. _And Hayate-chan is my friend,_ she hugged her knees and stared wistfully into the distance.

 _So why do I feel the same about them?_

That was something she didn't know how to answer.

Nanoha sighed again with resignation and turned a TV on.

 _I need to distract myself, even for just a little bit._

" _Minister, our current economy issues–"_

Politics. Nanoha switched the channel.

"– _it is sad that these fascinating creatures–"_

The brunette shivered at a sight of an enormous spider and switched the channel again.

"– _doctor, with all the things you have just mentioned, one could think that a polyamorous relationship is almost impossible to maintain. What's your status on that?"_

" _Well, I do agree that it's difficult but certainly not impossible. Romantically loving more than one person is something that happens and as long as everyone involved understands that-..."_

Nanoha stared at the screen dumbstruck. "Loving more than one person..." she repeated to herself.

Suddenly everything was starting to make sense.

* * *

Fate, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on any more. First it was their intimacy dying. Then, thanks to Hayate's efforts and gentle guidance during their lovemaking sessions, she felt as if they were slowly getting back on track when another problem appeared.

Something which was bothering Fate greatly.

Whenever she'd get intimate with Nanoha only she felt like there was some kind of wall surrounding the girl. She would respond, touch and kiss her back, and it was obvious to Fate that every time she was giving her all. But in her eyes Fate could see a hint of longing for something that she couldn't give her.

One particular look that was never there when Hayate was with them.

 _It's like Hayate being with us makes such a huge difference..._

Fate wasn't jealous. Instead, she felt as if her presence alone was not enough any more.

Which, perhaps, in the end was worse than jealousy.

And then there was something else that worried the blonde even more – Nanoha's daily behaviour.

The girl would constantly space out or stare into the distance, one day acting as if she was waiting for something and on another day drowning herself in memories.

Nothing was really helping. Outings, lunchdates, even flying didn't seem to make much difference.

The only times when Nanoha was acting more animated were, again, the times Hayate was around. And even then Fate had noticed a pattern in her behaviour – alternating between happier moments and moments when the girl would suddenly quiet down for a while.

 _As if she was remembering something that she'd normally forget with Hayate around._

And all of that combined, considering how Nanoha would constantly deny anything out of ordinary taking place, was a great mystery to the blonde.

Something that she, perhaps, wasn't able to solve.

At least not alone.

"Nanoha-chan's acting weird?" Hayate scratched her chin.

Fate nodded. "She's been totally out of it for a couple of days now, I'm starting to really worry about her."

Hayate frowned. "Do you want me to try and talk to her about it?" the brunette suggested.

"Please," Fate sighed. "I feel like there's something she's not telling me and I just can't get it out of her..."

Hayate reached out and took Fate's hand. "Don't worry," she smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. Nanoha-chan has a tendency of worrying too much over little things."

The blonde smiled back and squeezed her friend's hand. "Thank you."

The two sat at Hayate's desk together for a while, still holding each other's hand.

There was a certain kind of comfort coming from that simple gesture that both of them could feel.

Until Fate's eyes rested on a watch on the wall behind Hayate. "Oh my, it's that late!" she stood up quickly and turned to her friend. "I'm sorry, I forgot I have a meeting in a couple of minutes!" she explained apologetically before quickly heading towards the door to the brunette's office. "I'll catch you later!" Fate waved before leaving.

"Ah, Fate-chan!" Hayate called after the blonde but she had already left. "...you forgot your documents..." she finished, more to herself. "Seriously, what a day..." the girl sighed and rubbed her temples.

She didn't even have enough time to process everything that Fate had just told her before her office door opened again and Nanoha stormed in with a serious expression on her face.

"Ah, Nanoha-chan, have you seen Fate-chan? She left her doc– mmph!"

Hayate's question got unceremoniously interrupted when Nanoha leaned in out of the blue and kissed her on the lips.

"Na-Nanoha...-chan?" the brunette stammered, shaken, after her friend had pulled back.

"I have to tell you something, Hayate-chan," Nanoha couldn't have sounded any more serious.

Noticing that, Hayate quickly composed herself. "Yes?" she asked, ignoring the shock her friend had just gave her.

"I love you, Hayate-chan," the brunette stated, looking straight into the other girl's eyes.

Hayate wasn't quite sure how to answer. So she answered with a smile. "Thank you, Nanoha-chan. I love you, too," she said with all of her honesty.

"No, Hayate-chan," Nanoha's face still had an expression of intense determination. "I _love_ you," she stressed. "Like I _love_ Fate-chan."

Hayate's eyes widened when she understood what her friend was telling her. "Nanoha-chan..." she whispered, bewildered.

The other brunette continued. "I've finally understood. I love both of you. I can't bring myself to choose just one, I can't leave the other out, I _love_ you two equally."

Hayate was utterly speechless. The sincerity in Nanoha's voice, her desperate confession, all made her understand in an instant why the strange request to repeat their intimate acts, why Fate had said that the girl was acting strange.

 _She must have been so confused about her feelings,_ the brunette thought. "Have you told Fate-chan anything?" she asked despite knowing the answer.

Nanoha shook her head sadly. "I don't know how to deliver it to her... " she explained. "I'm scared of losing her, but I can't lie to her, to myself, to you," she rested her hands on the desk in front of her friend. "I want you both. I love you both. I love Fate-chan, and I..."

Meanwhile a few corridors away Fate tapped herself lightly on her head.

"Right..." she turned around, quickly making her way through the halls of TSAB headquarters. It took her no more than a minute to reach Hayate's office again. "Hayate, have you seen a black folder–"

The blonde stopped dead in her tracks as she opened the door.

"...I love you," Nanoha said, reaching out and kissing Hayate once more.

"...Nanoha...?" the blonde watched in shock as the two girls jumped away from each other.

It couldn't be happening. It wasn't happening...or was it?

A tear rolled down Fate's cheek as she closed the door and walked away without a word.


	2. Chapter 2

Nanoha stared in horror at Fate as the blonde turned around and closed the door to Hayate's office. "Fate...-chan..." she whispered appalled.

"FATE-CHAN!" Nanoha plunged into the door, violently slamming it open.

The corridor was empty.

"Nanoha-chan!" Hayate's voice reached the brunette's ears but she was already running forward. She ran until she reached the end of the corridor. Frantically looking around, she caught a glimpse of golden hair disappearing quickly on the opposite end of the hall she had just ran into.

"Fate-chan, wait!" Nanoha shouted.

People walking around turned their heads towards her or stopped to see what was going on but it didn't matter.

Turn by turn, corridor by corridor, following the blonde, Nanoha eventually ran into TSAB underground car park. She scanned the area quickly with her eyes noticing that, to her misfortune, Fate's car was already gone.

 _I'm too late..._

Nanoha ran out of the underground area to an open space and, gripping Raising Heart tightly in her hand, soared up to the sky.

Fate, just like her car, was nowhere to be seen.

 _Where could she go, where could she go..._ Nanoha's thoughts ran wild and, eventually, she directed herself towards the first place that came to her mind.

She flew fast. The wind was hurting her eyes, drying her tears, but she didn't care. She sped up even more when she finally noticed the roof of her house.

Fate's car was nowhere near but it didn't stop her. Landing in front of her doorstep, the girl rushed inside, her heart skipping a beat after noticing the door was unlocked.

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha called out, checking the living room.

Empty.

"Fate-chan!"

Bedroom; empty.

Kitchen, bathroom, Vivio's room upstairs, too. Except for her there was no one else in.

 _ **Click**_

The girl froze. _I could swear I just heard..._ she hurried downstairs and outside of the house. Except for random passer-bys on the street, there was no one.

"Raising Heart," the brunette whispered after going back inside. _My last hope..._ she closed the door and swallowed thickly. "Call Fate-chan."

" _Yes, Master,"_ blinking intensively, the device fell quiet and spoke again only after a longer while. _"Master, Fate T. Harlaown is currently unreachable or not accepting the call."_

Nanoha's throat tightened. "Try again!"

Silence.

" _Master,"_ Raising Heart's red light died down again.

"Fate-chan..." slowly, Nanoha sank down to her knees as the truth hit her.

Fate was gone. And she had no way to find her now and make things any better.

Resting against the wall, the girl closed her eyes. It was all like some kind of scenario from her worst nightmare. Suddenly, in a matter of a wrongly-timed second, she had perhaps lost someone incredibly important. Her friend, her wife, and her soulmate.

 _What have I done..._ she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, trying her best to stop herself from crying. _There must be something...some other way..._

Nanoha didn't know how much time she had spent on the floor. The tiredness had slowly took over her body and her absent-minded state got broken only by Raising Heart. _"Master, you have an incoming call from-"_

The brunette accepted before the device had managed to finish.

"Fate-chan?" she asked hopefully.

It wasn't Fate that appeared on the screen.

"Nanoha-chan, I'm so sorry..." Hayate's voice was shaky and, although her face looked somewhat composed, her eyes showed that the girl had cried, too. "I'm so sorry...I was so stupid for agreeing to it..." she hid face in her hands.

Nanoha shook her head sadly. "It's not your fault, Hayate-chan...I should have talked to her first..."

They both fell quiet until Nanoha spoke again.

"I tried to call her but she's not picking up..." she whispered weakly.

Hayate let out a heavy sigh. "I have people from my office trying to locate her but it seems she's determined to not be found by anyone right now."

"I...see..." Nanoha's voice cracked.

"Nanoha-chan!" Hayate called out suddenly. "It'll be okay, I promise!" she placed hand on her heart.

Nanoha's lips curled, even if only so little, in a sad smile. "Thank you, Hayate-chan."

When the two ended the call, the brunette didn't move from her place.

Memories of what had happened flashed through Nanoha's mind once again. Everything still felt so surreal and, deep down, she still hoped that it was just a dream, that it didn't really happen.

 _I'm such a fool for still hoping for that..._ she scolded herself.

It was an accident that, when she had opened her eyes, her view rested on a small hanger near the entrance door. Then she noticed – Fate's coat was missing.

 _But she didn't take it with her this morning!_ Quickly, the girl stood up and headed to their bedroom. She opened the first drawer that contained Fate's clothes and which, now, was half-empty. Her face kept going more and more pale with every new realization she made after checking the rest of the drawers and their wardrobe.

Eventually, Nanoha dropped down at the edge of their bed.

Suddenly it made sense to her – why the door to her house was open but Fate was nowhere to be found. Why she didn't see her car parked anywhere near.

Fate was _avoiding_ her. She was _hiding_ from her. She probably didn't want to have _anything_ to do with her any more.

The brunette hid her face in her hands, smearing fresh tears all over and feeling more leaking through her fingers. "What have I done..." she whispered, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

* * *

Meanwhile Hayate kept pacing nervously back and forth in her office, biting her lip every now and then.

 _I'm stupid, I'm so stupid..._ she thought for something that had to be the hundredth time.

It wasn't only the disastrous in its result coincidence. It wasn't only that Fate had disappeared and couldn't be tracked. It was all _her_ fault. _Her_ idea that brought that upon her friends. _She_ had to take the responsibility now, at least by finding Fate.

Hayate clenched her fists. _Just what was I thinking..._

Another problem was, even if she managed to find Fate, she had no idea what to do next.

 _Think, Hayate, think..._

Urging herself wasn't much of a help either. Frankly, nothing really was helping.

She was sure that Fate wouldn't want to talk to Nanoha. She was also worried about talking to Fate herself. What would she tell her? She hadn't even fully comprehended what happened yet and, as reluctant as she was to admit it, it was the first time she was _scared_ to look the blonde in the eyes.

Then there was Nanoha who was currently in a horrible condition herself, too, and Hayate had honestly wished she could be in multiple places at a time.

She bit her lip again.

"Griffith-san, please continue searching and inform me about anything new you get to know. I'm going to check on Nanoha-chan," she spoke over an intercom and took off.

Arriving to the Takamachi-Harlaown house, Hayate found the front door unlocked. "Pardon the intrusion," she whispered and, quietly, stepped inside, leaving her shoes near the doorstep. "Nanoha-chan?" she called out, walking more into the house. "Nanoha-chan!"

Finally, she found the girl in her bedroom.

The brunette was lying on her bed with her clothes dishevelled and hair spread around messily.

"Nanoha-chan..." Hayate entered the room and slowly sat near her friend at the edge of the bed.

"She even took her things with her," the brunette spoke in a low voice, staring emptily at a wall.

 _Damn..._ Hayate's insides twisted. Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand softly on top of the other girl's. Nanoha responded to the gesture meekly, gripping lightly Hayate's hand herself.

At the end of the day one thing was clear to Hayate – they were both deeply shaken by what had happened. Comfort, support, a spark of hope – they both needed them. But other than that, she still couldn't wrap her mind around everything else that took place.

Her eyes rested on the hand she was holding. _I wonder how it feels to Nanoha-chan,_ she looked at her friend and sighed quietly when a memory of their earlier kiss appeared in her mind. She slid down from the bed and sat on the floor.

Nanoha turned to her other side, facing Hayate who rested her arms on the bed, bringing their faces to the same level. Hayate reached out with her free hand and gently wiped Nanoha's tears. The other girl closed her eyes at the touch for a little while.

"Hayate-chan, I'm sorry..." Nanoha whispered as her friend kept stroking her cheek. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this...for insisting on doing these things with you..."

Hayate shook her head slowly, giving the brunette a small, encouraging smile. "Nanoha-chan, I'll do anything for you, you don't have to say sorry."

 _It was my fault. Let me take the blame._

Nanoha looked away in guilt. "Still, I've never really asked you how you felt about all this..."

"I enjoyed it," the girl answered shortly and smiled gently again before adding, "It was like nothing I've ever experienced," she confessed. "Being like this with you two was so different, it made me feel at ease. It's just..." Hayate hesitated for a moment, searching for words. "In the end, we're friends. However close we may be, it still made me question each time whether it's wrong or not to do this. Especially since you and Fate-chan..."

Nanoha's face fell a little and she opened her mouth to answer but closed it again when Hayate's device rang.

"Commander," Griffith saluted on screen. "We have managed to track Captain Fate T. Harlaown," he informed and both girls got up immediately.

"Report, please," Hayate commanded, briefly saluting back.

"We have found out that she had requested a couple of teleportation transfers with destination being non-administrated planet 97. Unfortunately," he paused and adjusted his glasses. "That's as far as we can go with the search without using a space cruiser."

Nanoha and Hayate looked at each other, not hiding their puzzlement.

"Earth?" Nanoha repeated.

"Griffith-san, is the route available now?" Hayate asked with determination.

"Yes, Ma'am. Currently there are two cruisers in range of your teleportation spell."

Hayate nodded. "Nanoha-chan, we're going," she grabbed her surprised friend's wrist. "Griffith-san," she turned to the man on the screen. "Please send the coordinates to my device. And thank you for your efforts."

"Yes, Ma'am!" he saluted again before disconnecting.

They didn't wait long. Nanoha squeezed Hayate's hand tighter, feeling familiar warmth radiating from the spell her friend was casting.

Endless mazes and images kept flashing in front of the girls' eyes after they took off as they travelled through time and space.

"Commander on the deck! All hands salute!" Nanoha heard when they arrived to the space cruiser, stopping only for a couple of seconds before making another jump to their destination point.

Finally, Nanoha saw a view more familiar to her.

Uminari city was already asleep when they landed on top of its highest skyscraper. After a quick look around, the girl closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Nothing beats earthly air," she whispered, hearing her friend doing the same thing. "I wonder where Fate-chan is..." she said quietly.

After all, that's why they came here.

Hayate sighed and shook her head. "I assumed that she probably would be somewhere in that area. That's where the three of us..." she cut before she finished the sentence.

"I think we should divide," Nanoha suggested and Hayate noticed with a bit of satisfaction that her friend's determination was making its way back into her voice.

The shorter brunette nodded. "Good idea," she smiled. "Let's cover the opposite sides of the city first."

With that, the two shot up high to the sky and parted.

"Raising Heart, please!" Nanoha closed her eyes and gently kissed the little gem. "Find Fate-chan!"

" _Yes, my Master! Preparing to activate a wide area scan,"_ the device glowed as a pink magic circle appeared under the girl's feet. _"Preparation complete, starting the scan."_

Focusing on the spell, Nanoha gathered all of her power and waited. And waited. Seconds kept passing, then minutes, but nothing had indicated that Fate was anywhere around.

" _Any success, Nanoha-chan?"_ the brunette heard her friend's voice over a telepathic link.

" _So far nothing. What about you, Hayate-chan?"_

" _...Same."_

The answer made Nanoha sigh quietly. _"Let's keep it up for a while longer,"_ the girl requested and focused back on her search.

Almost half an hour had passed before the two girls decided to take a break. Nanoha landed on top of the nearest building and sat down, panting lightly. The night air was cool and crisp and yet the brunette noticed a couple drops of sweat on her forehead. She quickly wiped them off and sat down.

 _I can't rest knowing that Fate-chan may be somewhere near..._ she fidgeted and started looking around, as if hoping to maybe spot the blonde while not searching for her with a spell.

" _Hayate-chan, let's continue,"_ she sent her friend a mental message after a couple of minutes.

" _Are you all right, Nanoha-chan?"_ Hayate asked with worry but Nanoha was already floating above the city.

" _I'll be okay, Hayate-chan,"_ she reassured and cast the spell once again. "Raising Heart, cover as much area as possible!" she commanded and her device blinked gently.

" _As you wish, Master."_

The time was going painfully slow for Nanoha as she kept channelling her power to her device and waiting for any kind of results to appear.

In vain.

" _Nanoha-chan, we should stop now. I don't think she's anywhere near,"_ Hayate's telepathic voice roused Nanoha suddenly and the girl noticed her whole body was covered with sweat.

" _A bit more! Let's search just a little bit more!"_ Nanoha insisted. "Just a little bit..." she repeated to herself, concentrating all her power on keeping the spell up.

Slowly, the world around Nanoha started turning into a blur. _Just a bit more..._ The girl shut her eyes tightly, suddenly feeling somewhat lightheaded.

" _Master, your fatigue level is dangerously high,"_ Raising Heart's voice reached the brunette's ears, unnaturally distant, as if coming from behind a curtain.

Nanoha gritted her teeth. She felt uncomfortably hot despite the cool air she was breathing in. Another couple of sweat drops ran down her forehead and temples but she decided to ignore them. She couldn't give up. Not yet. Not when Fate could be somewhere close.

" _Nanoha-chan?"_

The brunette heard Hayate's voice in her head but she felt too tired to answer.

" _Nanoha-chan, answer me!"_

 _Why does Hayate-chan sound so...scared?_ Nanoha wondered. There was nothing to be afraid of.

 _Maybe I really should rest just a little..._ the girl thought, cancelling the spell and relaxing her muscles.

It felt like a heavy burden got lifted from her. Her body was so tired that she couldn't open her eyes. There was a pleasant, cool wind blowing against her back and a feeling inside her that oscillated between something familiar and breathtaking. It almost felt like...

 _...falling_.

Nanoha opened her eyes in a sudden rush of adrenaline. She saw the clouds above her but they were getting more and more distant. The air was blowing harder against her back as she kept gaining speed.

The girl shut her eyes again, trying to fly and stop the fall, but nothing seemed to change. And then it got to her.

 _I used up all of my power..._

The force on her back felt almost crushing.

 _...Am I going to die...?_

She opened her eyes briefly to take a look at the sky above her.

 _I...I'm sorry, Fate-chan...Hayate-chan..._ her eyes shut from exhaustion.

Suddenly, she felt something solid and soft touching her back. The feeling came along with pleasant warmth that surrounded her as the sensation of falling slowly lessened and eventually disappeared. The brunette lifted her tired eyelids slightly, catching a glimpse of golden hair in the dark.

She smiled lightly.

And then her consciousness finally slipped away.

* * *

Nanoha woke up to light, chilling wind and numbness that engulfed her whole body. Realizing that she was lying on the grass, she carefully brought a hand up to her forehead and rubbed her eyes before opening them. It was still dark and her vision was somewhat blurred.

"Fate...-chan?" she asked weakly, spotting a familiar contour sitting nearby in the darkness.

The person jolted slightly, apparently surprised by her voice. "Are you okay, Nanoha?" Fate looked at the girl before handing her a bottle of water. "Here, you should drink something."

A little clumsily, Nanoha sat up. She noticed how dry her throat was only when she took the first sip. "You saved me, Fate-chan," she said after a while with a faint smile after dim memories came back to her.

"Don't mention it," the blonde turned her head away and Nanoha noticed that the girl's voice sounded unnaturally distant. "How did you get here?" she asked after a while.

"I came here with Hayate-chan, she should be somewhere a-"

"Why?" Fate interrupted her.

Nanoha looked at the girl with slight shock at first before looking down at the ground. "I wanted to talk to you, Fate-chan. I wanted to explain what happened."

"What do you want to explain?!" the blonde raised her voice.

The sudden outburst took Nanoha aback. Fate had almost never shouted, certainly not at her. And it pained the brunette to notice how hurt the other girl had sounded. "Fate-chan..." she said meekly.

"I'm just not enough for you any more...right?" Fate spoke again, in low and brittle voice.

"It's not that, Fate-chan!" Nanoha reached out her hand but the blonde moved away. "I just...Fate-chan and Hayate-chan..."

"Nanoha, you don't understand," Fate said sourly after a while. "I gave my everything to you, I went as far as becoming intimate with our best friend to break _you_ out of boredom," she stressed, making Nanoha cringe in her spot. "I did what I could and yet...it's not enough, is it?" she looked at the ground grimly. "Because now there's someone else than me you want to be with."

"Fate-chan, I'm telling you it's not-"

"I don't want to hear that!" Fate stood up, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. "I'm just a replacement again, right?! Like I was for my mo-"

 _ **SLAP**_

Fate touched her hurting cheek in shock, looking at a short brunette that had just landed in front of her out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry, Fate-chan," Hayate spoke calmly but sternly. "But this is not how you think it is. You need to give Nanoha-chan a chance to explain herself."

The blonde stared at her for a while before nodding her head absently and sitting down.

"Fate-chan, the truth is," Nanoha started gently. "I love you with all my heart. And there's absolutely no one that could ever replace you."

For just a moment Fate seemed to smile faintly at these words.

After a couple of seconds, Nanoha continued. "And the truth is, I love Hayate-chan, too."

Fate's face took a confused expression.

"These two nights we three spent together...I felt like never before. When both you and Hayate-chan were there with me...all the butterflies I had in my stomach, the desire I felt for both you and Hayate-chan that I'd never experienced, all the longing I felt after we parted, everything..." Nanoha paused for a while to loosen her somewhat hurting throat and catch a breath. "And then I heard that it happens...to fall for two people at the same time."

Hayate smiled lightly to herself. _Silly girl...she's probably having a crush on me..._ With a corner of her eye, she looked at Fate who listened carefully to Nanoha, her face somewhat milder than earlier.

After a moment, Nanoha picked up again. "I kept thinking about it but I didn't know what to do. I want our marriage to last, Fate-chan, but I realized I couldn't choose between the two of you..." she said quietly. "Fate-chan, I know that what I'm saying is probably weird but believe me, it's true," the girl put her hand on her heart. "I love both of you," she looked at Fate and then at Hayate. "And I want you both in my life."

"It's unusual but I believe that Nanoha-chan's intentions are true," Hayate said with a smile, sitting near Fate who was staring at Nanoha with flabbergasted expression.

"I..." the blonde opened her mouth but changed her mind.

"I'm honestly sorry, Fate-chan," Nanoha said. "I should have told you about this first."

"Why didn't you?" Fate asked quietly. "Maybe we'd have worked something out together..."

"I didn't know how to..." Nanoha answered with noticeable regret. "After I understood what was going on, I told Hayate-chan in hope that she'd help me with figuring something out...but..." she choked on her words. "Things went so wrong..." the girl finished and hugged her knees, sobbing quietly. "I'm so sorry, Fate-chan..."

Fate had no idea what to say. What Nanoha had just told her sounded so surreal and unbelievable and yet...she understood. No, she _trusted_ in what the girl had said. Hesitantly, she reached out and wiped the tears that were streaming down Nanoha's cheeks. The moment after she found the brunette clinging to her tightly. With a small smile, Fate wrapped her arms around the girl.

"I'm sorry, too, Nanoha," the blonde whispered. "I overreacted, I should have trusted you more..."

Nanoha didn't answer. Instead, she tightened the hug around her wife as if her life depended on it.

"It's okay, Nanoha, I'm not going anywhere any more," Fate spoke quietly to her ear while stroking her head, feeling tears gathering in her own eyes.

Sitting near, Hayate looked at the couple, letting out a silent sigh of relief. _I suppose I should give them some private time,_ she thought and started getting up when someone grabbed her hand. Surprised, she looked down, only to see Fate holding her wrist.

"You're my dear friend, Hayate," the blonde looked straight into her eyes. "Although I don't know if I could feel about you in the same way Nanoha does," she spoke with honesty. "But I feel I could never choose between the two of you either."

With that, she gently pulled Hayate closer and hugged her with the other hand.

Returning the gesture, Hayate smiled earnestly. "I suppose that option was already taken when we first met, wasn't it?" she joked and even Nanoha, who was still crying, giggled briefly at it until she got hiccups.

Embracing each other, the three Aces lied down on the cool, slightly wet grass.

"I think we all learned something from that," Fate broke the silence.

"Indeed, we did," Nanoha nodded and pulled her friends closer.

Hayate looked briefly at the sky, not covered by the clouds any more and with many stars shining above them. "That threesomes aren't best remedy for marriage problems, eh?" she joked and all three of them chuckled. "I'm sorry for suggesting it," she said, more seriously. And then added, "I love you, guys."

Both she and Nanoha closed their eyes while Fate blushed.

Nanoha took a deep breath, once again enjoying the taste of the air surrounding them. She jumped in surprise and winced when a hand suddenly smacked lightly the top of her head. "Ow...Hayate-chan, why?" she whimpered.

"That's for your carelessness and always pushing yourself to your limits, Nanoha-chan," Hayate stated seriously. "Do you have an idea how worried I was when you suddenly stopped answering? Thank god Raising Heart began sending emergency signal, I don't even want to think what would happen if Fate-chan hadn't caught you first!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the other brunette shrank and smiled nervously.

Hayate sighed loudly. "I'm just glad that you're okay..." she said and patted the girl's head.

"By the way, Fate-chan," Nanoha asked after a moment. "Why Earth?"

"Huh? I..." the blonde stuttered slightly. "I just wanted...a change of surrounding...and...maybe visit the places where we first met..." she blushed, fully aware that her friends knew it was just a spur-of-a-moment idea.

"Hmm," Hayate mused. "Since we're here, why don't we visit Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan?" she suggested.

"Good idea!" Nanoha exclaimed but quickly quieted down. "But...how do we let them know first? It's middle of the night."

"Let's just go there and see if they're sleeping in the same bed!"

"Hayate, that's creepy!"

The three of them laughed on the grass.

Life was good again.

* * *

 **A/N:** That concludes this short story which I hope you enjoyed reading. I certainly enjoyed writing it and, I must admit, it was a bit of a challenge after a long time of not writing anything at all. I've always seen Hayate as a kind guardian for both Nanoha and Fate, one that'd do anything for her friends, and I think I've managed to capture it well in this story. The ending was left somewhat open on purpose as I believe it's fair in this case to let you, dear readers, decide on your own how the things will go after that as there's a couple of possible ways.

Also, I wanted to say thank you for all the support, comments, and feedback I got, as well as give a special credit to JustMadman for writing me a more in-depth review and Major Mike Powell III for constantly pestering me to write something new. ;)

Thanks to all of you again and see you next time!


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